


The Houdini Problem

by meanderingmirth



Series: Magical Creatures AU [1]
Category: VIXX
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-22
Updated: 2015-05-22
Packaged: 2018-03-31 16:39:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,206
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3985240
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meanderingmirth/pseuds/meanderingmirth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On that fateful autumn Tuesday, where the winds were restless and the clouds darkened with the promise of a storm, Lee Jaehwan, Parole Officer from the Department of the Detainment and Rehabilitation of Dangerous Magical Creatures, disappeared mysteriously.</p><p>Taekwoon honestly has better things to do than to bother with his whimsical, wayward, and undeniably weird co-worker. That’s why he’s going to embark on a mission to find Jaehwan and give him a firm neck chop for inconveniencing everybody. He’s not worried or anything. Honest.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Houdini Problem

**Author's Note:**

> In this universe magical creatures and humans co-exist quite normally. I think the lyrics at the beginning of ‘Light of up the Darkness’ describe the city I have in mind well, lol (✿´ ꒳ ` )

It’s the relative silence of the offices of the Department of the Detainment and the Rehabilitation of Dangerous Magical Creatures that immediately tells Taekwoon that something is off.

“Where is everybody?” he asks Sojin as she passes by, a cup of hot coffee in one hand a pile of pamphlets about restricting werewolf activity in the other.

“Out on patrol or taking cases,” she says. “Why?”

It takes Taekwoon another moment to realize why it’s still so quiet, even though most of the parole officers are out on the job. “Let me reiterate,” he says. “Where is Jaehwan?”

Sojin blinks, and then glances around. “Actually, now that you mention it... Jaehwan hasn’t come in this morning.”

That is shocking news. For a moment both officers were very thrown off-kilter, and then Sojin muses quietly, “Could he have slept in...?”

“He went home early yesterday night and left me all the paperwork,” Taekwoon deadpans, and Sojin laughs.

“Of course he did,” she grins. “Why don’t you call him? Maybe he’s stuck in traffic or something.”

That is a highly unlikely case, because Jaehwan doesn’t own a car and has the biking skills of a confused toddler, so more often than not he walks to work, and Taekwoon knows that Jaehwan takes his job seriously enough to to arrive on time even if he does show up looking like he’d dressed himself half-asleep. Maybe he got held up at the cafe across the street. Sometimes Jaehwan liked to buy some abysmally sweet iced coffees to keep him energized for the day and terrorize Taekwoon with his enthusiasm for as long as the offices hours extended to. The cafe is quite a popular spot. Yes, Jaehwan must’ve been caught up there trying to add fourteen types of syrup into his drink, Taekwoon muses as he bids Sojin goodbye and hurries back out of the building.

But the cafe is empty when Taekwoon arrives, except for a very bored Sungjae polishing the counter repeatedly with a dazed expression most university part-timers are prone to have. Taekwoon waves a hand in front of the barista’s face to catch his attention.

“Oh! Taekwoon,” Sungjae says, snapping out of it. “What can I get you? The usual?”

“No,” Taekwoon begins, and Sungjae’s eyes look like they’re about to pop out of his head.

“No? Did you just turn down  _coffee_?”

“What?”

“Oh my god, is the world ending,” Sungjae says in horror. “What is it this time? Did a dangerous wizard move into town? Is there unrest with the undead? Are we gonna experience a real zombie apocalypse soon?”

“No,” Taekwoon says crossly. “Everything is normal. Have you seen Jaehwan?”

“Oh,” Sungjae says, looking rather crestfallen to hear that the world was, in fact, not ending. “That’s disappointing. I still haven’t started my six page essay and it’s due the day after tomorrow. I was hoping something like a few brain-eating corpses would push the due date back a bit.”

Taekwoon gives him a pointed look, and Sungjae clears his throat. “Anyway! Um. No, I haven’t seen Jaehwan today. Aren’t you usually with him when you go out on patrol?”

“Yes,” Takewoon mutters, feeling very confused now. Where on earth could Jaehwan be?

Sungjae glances outside, where the last of the morning traffic has finally eased down the main street and the rush of normal people heading to their normal jobs has grown sparse. “Is he at home? Maybe he’s sick or something.”

Taekwoon thinks back to the night before. Jaehwan had been chirpy and bright as usual, but he did leave early. And the weather was changing too. Jaehwan only had a measly windbreaker on yesterday night, the one he keeps his button collection on. The chances of him catching a chill on his way back home wasn’t unlikely.

Taekwoon nods to himself. He’ll check Jaehwan’s apartment. If the fool had managed to get sick, that could only mean a backlog of work for Taekwoon during Jaehwan’s sick leave, and then the two of them to deal with even more cases when Jaehwan did get back. Taekwoon did not enjoy all-nighters. Checking up on Jaehwan was now a vital mission if it meant that he wouldn’t have to stay over at the office.

Before he heads out, Taekwoon orders his usual from Sungjae. If he’s going to voluntarily visit Jaehwan’s house, he’d rather stay energized with a plain iced latte.

+

But Jaehwan isn’t home.

After ringing the doorbell unsuccessfully for five minutes in front of Jaehwan’s townhouse and calling both his home phone and mobile number four times in a row, Taekwoon glowers at the hideously painted maroon front door and takes out the spare key Jaehwan had insisted on gifting him when the pair first became partners.

“We’ve gotta look out for each other now!” Jaehwan had said excitedly, pushing the key into Taekwoon’s hand. Jaehwan had gotten him one with an anime print on it with eye-popping colours. It stood out brightly against the few brass keys hanging on Taekwoon’s lanyard.

Inside, Jaehwan’s apartment is suspiciously silent. It even feels empty. Taekwoon closes the door behind him and carefully roams the apartment, scrunching his nose at the few dirty dishes in the sink and the knick knacks littering the coffee table in the living room. He heads upstairs, footsteps muffled on the tan carpet, and makes a beeline for Jaehwan’s bedroom. He knocks on the semi-closed door, waiting for a response.

He receives none, because Jaehwan’s bedroom is just as empty as every other part of his house.

Taekwoon pushes the door open all the way and stares bemusedly at the small mess in the otherwise unoccupied room. Approximately nineteen Chopper dolls of varying sizes stare back at him as he wanders around, not wanting to intrude but also wanting to make sure that Jaehwan hasn’t fainted in the shower or something—

Or worse. Kidnapped.

Taekwoon’s heart skips a beat as realization slams into him like a wayward spell. Could Jaehwan have gotten kidnapped? They were parole officers in charge of checking up on magical creatures that were under probation. Not exactly a job that made one popular. It’s hard to imagine Jaehwan having enemies because as far as parole officers go he’s a likeable and respectable one, but everything was a possibility in this world.

Trying not to panic now, Taekwoon hurries out of Jaehwan’s house and calls Sojin.

“Do you think Jaehwan could’ve gotten kidnapped,” he says in lieu of a greeting, and there’s a pause on the other side.

“What?” Sojin says, confusion evident in her voice. “Jaehwan’s been kidnapped?”

“No, but, what if,” Taekwoon says hurriedly, striding down the street without knowing where he was going. “Do you think that might be a possibility?”

“That seems unlikely,” Sojin says slowly. “Maybe he has an errand to run? What if he got a head start on the places you were going to visit today?”

“Jaehwan wouldn’t do that,” Taekwoon says immediately. “We’re a team.”

“Hm. I don’t know where else he might’ve gone then. Why don’t you try asking the magical creatures around in the city?”

“If somebody took Jaehwan they’re not going to tell me they did it,” Taekwoon says. He hears some papers shuffling on the other end.

“True. But that’s a start, right?” Sojin says, and Taekwoon has to admit she’s got a point. He thanks her, hangs up, and turns around to walk back up the street because with his frantic pacing he’s somehow managed to make it all the way to the end of the block. It’s better to look positively at the situation and not jump to conclusions; for all the scuffles and tricks the magical creatures get up to, they’re mostly harmless. Taekwoon takes a breath and halts his steps, thinking.

Where would Jaehwan go?

+

He decides to stop by the Mad Warlock’s place first. The Mad Warlock, a stooped, scraggly and scathingly sarcastic old professor that lives in a rather beat-up house in the college neighbourhood, is a serial offender with the Department of the Detainment and Rehabilitation of Dangerous Magical Creatures. Taekwoon has already lost track of how many times the professor’s been reported for keeping illegal potion ingredients, importing exotic animals for experiments, and even for general noise complaints and for exceeding garbage limit over the years. Visiting the house is like a second nature for most parole officers but Jaehwan’s the only person who actively enjoys dropping by the professor’s place because one, because he thinks the old guy’s a hoot, and two, because he likes hanging out with the warlock’s apprentice, Sanghyuk.

Incidentally, it is the frazzled teenager who answers when Taekwoon pounds on the heavy wooden door upon his arrival. Sanghyuk peeks through a crack and peers suspiciously at Taekwoon before his eyes widen in recognition and a look of comedic horror crosses his face.

“Oh god, not this again,” Sanghyuk cries, throwing open the front door. A thick stench of rotten eggs and burnt food rushes out and Taekwoon coughs, scrunching his nose up at the awful smell. Sanghyuk doesn’t seem to notice; his blond hair is practically standing upright on his head and there’s weird stains all over the tattered apron hanging around his neck. He looks slightly hysterical.

“I swear to god, officer, the professor hasn’t broken any parole rules this time, I’ve been keeping a stern eye on him this whole week, he hasn’t tried to smuggle anything in or drink any sort of body transfiguring potions. I swear on my life, he’s clear this time, I  _promise_.”

Taekwoon holds up a hand, halting Sanghyuk, who looks close to tears. “I’m not here about the Mad— er, the professor.”

“Oh,” Sangyuk says, surprised. “You’re not?”

Taekwoon shakes his head. “We haven’t heard about any problems with him yet.”

Sanghyuk practically deflates in relief, sagging against the doorway as he lets out a weak laugh. “Oh thank god, if the professor gets his ass hauled in for detainment this time I’d be screwed for sure; my practical magical examination is only a week away.”

“You were studying?” Taekwoon asks. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

“No no,” Sanghyuk waves him off, grinning. “I could use a small break. Besides, if you’re not here to arrest the professor, I’m curious to know why you’re visiting.”

Taekwoon never drops by the Mad Warlock’s place if he could help it; he only ever comes over when he needs to find Jaehwan or if they had to talk to the professor about breaking yet another rule. It seemed so strange to visit without his partner.

Clearing his throat, Taekwoon stuffed his hands listlessly into his pockets. “I’m looking for Jaehwan. He hasn’t shown up to work today, and none of my calls or messages are going through. Do you know where he is?”

“Yes,” Sanghyuk says immediately, and Taekwoon’s head snaps up so quickly he thinks he hears his neck crack.

“What?”

“Or, well, actually, I should say that I  _did_  see him today,” Sanghyuk corrects himself sheepishly, cheeks reddening as he fumbles with his words. “He came by, quite early in the morning.”

“How early?” Taekwoon demands. Jaehwan getting up early? He never does that.

“Around eight in the morning?” Sanghyuk says, tilting his head. “Sometime then.”

“What was he doing here?” Takewoon asks, incredibly confused.

“Well, he came to buy some scented candles,” Sanghyuk says. “He didn’t say for what though.”

Taekwoon stares at Sanghyuk like the apprentice has grown a second head. Why was Jaehwan at the professor’s house, buying candles from Sanghyuk at eight in the morning? What on earth would he need candles for?

“Do...do you know where he went afterwards?” Taekwoon finally manages to say, half-formed theories still chasing each other in his mind. Sanghyuk brightens.

“He did say he was going to stop by the harbour! I’m pretty sure he’s gone to see Hongbin.”

“ _Hongbin_?” Taekwoon repeats. “Why?”

Sanghyuk shrugs. “I don’t know. It just seems like he had some business to take care of today,” the apprentice says, and then there is a ground-shaking  _boom_  that rattles the whole house and expels a gush of black smoke out of the chimney. Sanghyuk winces, glancing behind his shoulder before turning forwards and giving Taekwoon a tired look.

“I wish I could tell you what the professor is up to now, officer, but to be honest I don’t even know what to say anymore. Would it be possible for you to arrest him  _after_  I finish my apprenticeship?”

“I think it’s time you found a better mentor,” Taekwoon says wisely, gives Sanghyuk several business cards and a pat on the head before leaving the Mad Warlock’s house behind. He had a new destination to visit now.

+

He takes a bus to the waterfront part of the city, where the grey clouds roll low over the dark blue sea and the wind is crisp and fresh. Even the air tastes salty. Seagulls caw and flap around the open-aired seafood markets sprawl along the road and boats let out dull, powerful honks as they drift into the harbour. A crowd of tourists are standing by an observation deck, binoculars and cameras in hand as they watch pods of whales swim by in the distance, only to scatter as an even bigger, scaly sea creature from the deep surfaces mournfully and swiftly descends back into the waves.

Taekwoon weaves through the crowd and watches merchants shout at each other, swiftly gut fish, or else gesture customers over to an array of beautiful treasures they’d traded and brought on their voyages. He spots a few goods that technically violates the restrictions placed on trading policies, and he if was on the job Taekwoon would’ve shut the stall down. However, at the moment, finding Jaehwan is more important.

He bypasses the stretch of merchant stalls and hurries across the beach, slipping in the soft grains and getting sand in his shoes as he jogs. Up ahead, by the rocky shore of the beach, is a tall lighthouse overlooking the lonely sea. Hongbin doesn’t live in the lighthouse; the structure is maintained and occupied by a man named Wonshik, but this is the right direction. Taekwoon takes the path cutting through the rocks until he descends down to a fairly flat arrangement of stones, where he finds the people he is looking for: Wonshik, who’s sitting cross-legged on the rocks as he whittles away at a piece of driftwood, and Hongbin, who’s propped up on his elbows, his lower half submerged into the ocean. He’s bare chested, and from his waist down, a long fish’s tail is swaying under the water, blue and green scales glittering beautifully despite the lack of sunlight in the sky.

Wonshik notices him first.

“Officer Taekwoon!” he greets, looking surprised. “I didn’t expect to see you here!”

“Me neither,” Taekwoon replies, thinking back to the residual paperwork he’d planned on finishing this morning before going on patrol. His whole schedule had been thrown aside for the day, all because of Jaehwan and his mysterious errand. “I’ve got a question. Have any of you seen Jaehwan?”

“Jaehwan? You just missed him,” Hongbin says apologetically, splashing his tail in the water. “He was here just now.”

“About fifteen minutes ago,” Wonshik adds, checking his watch. “I was wondering why you two weren’t together; you’re practically joined at the hip.”

“No we’re not,” Taekwoon says, and Wonshik gives him a dubious look.

“We’re  _not_ ,” Takewoon insists. “We just go on patrol together.”

“Friends can hang out too,” Wonshik points out, scraping off tiny bits of wood, leaving a small pile of shavings at his feet. Hongbin scoops up the pieces and drops them into the water, watching the scraps float away with an amused look on his face.

“Sanghyuk thinks Jaehwan’s on an errand,” Taekwoon says instead. “Did he come by to get anything?”

“As a matter of fact, he did,” Hongbin says, looking up. “He asked me to pick out some nice shells and stones for him, but he didn’t say what for.”

“Of course he didn’t,” Taekwoon mumbles crossly. “Do you know where he’s gone off to then?”

“Actually, we do,” Wonshik says brightly. “He’s headed off to the Old Forest to meet Hakyeon. I even sent him to deliver a few of the carvings I promised to give Hakyeon ages ago.”

“Why would Jaehwan need to go to the Old Forest?” Taekwoon demands, seconds away from ripping out his own hair. “That’s magical grounds, parole officers don’t really have any business there.”

“Why are you asking me?” Wonshik asks, making a face. “I don’t know.”

“Right,” Taekwoon sighs, scrubbing a hand down his face.

“You look worried,” Hongbin observes, blinking calmly up at the two humans standing on the rocks. “Didn’t Jaehwan tell you he was going somewhere today?”

“No, he didn’t,” Taekwoon mumbles. The thought had been bugging him all day; why  _hadn’t_  Jaehwan told him where he was going? But then again, why was he doing this wild goose chase all over the city? Jaehwan didn’t need babysitting. Taekwoon should just catch the next bus and go right back to the office and get a head start on all of the work that’s waiting for him and then—

“Hang on a moment,” Hongbin suddenly says, and then he’s pushing off from the rock, flipping effortlessly back into the water. The merman barely makes a splash as he vanishes into the water, shiny tail disappearing into the darkness below.

“Where’s he going?” Taekwoon asks, and Wonshik shrugs.

“Don’t worry, he’ll be back. It’s a merman thing.”

“Right,” Taekwoon says dryly, wondering what else might be a thing. He doesn’t like dealing with merpeople because they’re all rather suspicious folk, and even without the language barrier (Taekwoon’s had his share of deciphering noisy chatters and clicks) most sea creatures aren’t big on co-operating with land ones. Hongbin is one of the rare few that bothered to learn how to communicate with humans, but probably only because of Wonshik. If anything, those two were the ones who were joined at the hip.

They waited in silence for a few moments, with Taekwoon getting progressively more fidgety and Wonshik continuing to whittle peacefully away at whatever he was attempting to craft with the stick of wood. Finally, after a five minute wait that more or less felt like five hours, Hongbin popped back out of the water with a  _sploosh_ , startling Taekwoon.

“I’m back,” the merman said, shaking water out of his hair was he swam back over to the rock. He gestured to Wonshik, who set aside his carving and leaned over the edge of the rock so that Hongbin could wrap his arms around Wonshik’s neck, letting Wonshik lift the merman bodily out of the water. Taekwoon watched, bemused, as Hongbin’s tail flopped around on the rock before he managed to seat himself upright.

“Here you go,” Hongbin said, holding a closed fist out to Taekwoon, who takes a moment to process the action. When he accepts what Hongbin drops into his palm, it’s a tiny conch shell, cool and wet in his palm, tiny spiky ridges tinted with a pink that accents the rest of the pale shell. Taekwoon stares at it.

“What is this?”

Hongbin huffs, flapping his tail onto Taekwoon’s shoes, slopping water over the bottom of his pants. “They say you can hear the ocean in the conch shells. Don’t you humans listen to recordings of the sea when you’re stressed out? Or is Wonshik teasing me with another fake fact?”

“That was one time!” Wonshik whines, poking Hongbin’s cheek, and the merman pretends to bite back, momentarily extending his razor sharp fangs. Taekwoon’s reminded that merpeople can lure seafaring folk to their deaths by simply singing, and tries not to think about Hongbin’s teeth anymore.

“Thanks,” he says instead, pocketing the shell. “I’m not stressed.”

Hongbin snorts. “Your impressively furrowed brow says otherwise.”

Taekwoon tries not to scowl. “I’ll get going now,” he mumbles.

“Are you going to find Hakyeon now?” Wonshik asks, and Taekwoon nods. He doesn’t want to (visiting the Old Forest was an even bigger hassle then dealing with merpeople), but he had to find Jaehwan. It was already the late afternoon now, and Taekwoon didn’t want to waste the whole day trying to figure out what Jaehwan is up to.

“Do you mind bringing this to him?” Wonshik asks, holding out the finished carving— a little fish, in the midst of swimming.

“I’m not a delivery service,” Taekwoon grumbles, but he takes the fish and pockets it too. “Goodbye.”

“Thanks a bunch, officer,” Wonshik grins. “Come by for supper again sometime! I’ll make that seafood lasagna you like so much. Hongbin always catches the freshest fish.”

“That’s... acceptable,” Taekwoon nods. Food is always good. He’ll bring Jaehwan along too, if he manages to get his hands on that stumbling fool sometime today.

“I’ll drop you a line then,” Wonshik says cheerfully, and he waves farewell as Hongbin flaps his tail at Taekwoon, the pair watching the officer climb back up the rocks and towards the path again.

If Taekwoon hurried, he  _might_  catch Jaehwan before the other left.

+

Of course, there was no such luck.

When Taekwoon staggers into the clearing that surrounds Hakyeon’s tree, the only living beings present is the tall woodland spirit and a bunch of rabbits that surround him, nibbling at the green grass.

Hakyeon looks positively delighted to see Taekwoon.

“Taekwoon! What a lovely surprise!” Hakyeon cries, practically leaping to his feet. He dashes over and sweeps Taekwoon up into a hug, his exuberant energy attracting a few chirping birds to dive down from the trees and twitter around them.

“Was Jaehwan here?” Taekwoon asks, foregoing any greetings and getting straight to the point. Hakyeon pouts as he releases the officer.

“Not even a hello,” he says, pretending to shed a tear. “I’m crushed, Taekwoon.”

“I’m in a rush,” Taekwoon huffs, knocking Hakyeon lightly on the head.

“Everybody’s like that nowadays,” Hakyeon says mournfully, flitting over to coax a few sparrows into his palm. “They’re always rushing about, no time to stop and admire the world around them. Even Jaehwan didn’t stay long!”

“So he was here,” Taekwoon says, his eye twitching.

“Mhm,” Hakyeon hums, now instructing the birds to stand in a line on Taekwoon’s shoulders. “He asked for a few enchanted rune stones and some charms, and then he was leaving for the mountains already.”

Of all the things Taekwoon expected to hear, it certainly wasn’t that.

“Why the hell is Jaehwan going up the mountains?”

Hakyeon blinks at him. “Shouldn’t you know that more than me?”

Taekwoon glares. “I don’t,” he snaps, accidentally jostling one of the sparrows. It chirps in his ear, and he pats it absentmindedly to soothe it.

Hakyeon gives him an understanding smile, conjuring a bunch of flowers up on the palm of his hand. “That’s okay, everybody has something they’d like to keep to themselves.”

“Is this your way of telling me to mind my own business?” Taekwoon asks, squinting at Hakyeon. The woodland spirit gives him a cryptic grin and begins threading the flowers through Taekwoon’s hair. Taekwoon sighs, resigning himself to Hakyeon’s decorations, because he’s had a hell of a day running around the city, and daisies and carnations in his hair isn’t the worst thing that could happen to him.

“When Jaehwan was here, I could tell he wasn’t as upbeat as usual. Whatever he’s up to, whatever he hasn’t told you, I don’t think it’s serious, but don’t be too hard on him. Maybe there’s just been a misunderstanding.”

“Right,” Taekwoon blinks, and Hakyeon plants a blossoming chrysanthemum at the top of Taekwoon’s hair with flourish. “What should I do then?”

“Well, for starters, just find Jaehwan and make sure he’s alright,” Hakyeon muses, calling his birds back to him. “Then, if he needs anything, just do as he asks. Things will be back to normal soon, I’m sure, and you can go back to your job and hopefully still find the time to drop by for some meditation like you promised.” His dark eyes are glittering with a kind of knowingness that gives away his age; despite his youthful looks Hakyeon’s older than the forest itself. Taekwoon wonders what the spirit can feel with his connections to the earth.

“Alright then,” Taekwoon mumbles, scratching his nose distractedly. “You said he’s gone up to the mountains?”

“Mhm,” Hakyeon hums, doing a little twirl, and the wind blows gently around them. “He’s not too far, at a location just off the mountain pass. You’ll see him.”

That was good enough for Taekwoon. Nodding his thanks, he hands over the little wooden fish Wonshik left with him, and doesn’t stay to listen to Hakyeon’s delighted coos at the tiny carving.

+

He doesn’t know what to expect when he finally finds his partner, but when Taekwoon finally stumbles off the gravelly path that branched away from the mountain trail, he finds Jaehwan sitting by himself in front of an old, weathered gravestone, cheerfully humming a song as he weaves a flower crown on his lap. He spins around when he hears Taekwoon stumble a little over the rocks, and his jaw drops in surprise.

“ _Taekwoon_?” Jaehwan asks, eyes comedically wide, flowers spilling from his hands as he makes to stand. “What are you doing here?”

“Looking for you,” Taekwoon sighs, leaning over his knees to catch his breath. He thinks of skipping the gym tomorrow night; he’s gotten more than enough of a workout today. “I thought something happened to you.”

“What? Why?” Jaehwan asks, confused.

“Well, for starters, I show up to the office to find that you haven’t come in, and I when I called you didn’t answer, you weren’t at home and you weren’t at the cafe, and then I find that you were jumping between the Mad Warlock’s place, the lighthouse and even in the forest, but I had no idea why—”

“Taekwoon,” Jaehwan says, staring up at him. “Didn’t you get the note I left on your desk this morning?”

Taekwoon’s words screech to a halt, and his eyes grow wide. “Note? What note?” he demands, completely thrown off track. Jaehwan bites his lips and tilts his head, action cutely puppy-like.

“I left a note on your desk this morning, explaining that I’ve taken the day off for some business. It was right on top of your folder too, and the note was electric pink! I thought there’d be no way you missed it.”

“I—” Taekwoon starts, and then stops. “I... I didn’t go to my desk at all this morning.”

“Eh?” Jaehwan asks, confusion evident on his face. “But why not?”

“I didn’t hear your voice when I walked into the office this morning,” Taekwoon says, feeling heat creep up his face as he talks. “And then Sojin said you hadn’t come in that morning, so I just, I thought you went to the cafe. But when Sungjae said you hadn’t showed up either things just... took off from there,” he finishes lamely, and wants to bury his face in his hands. Jaehwan had left a freaking note, and because Taekwoon had jumped the gun, he’d missed the biggest clue of all.  _Incredible_.

“Oh my god,” Jaehwan says, torn between laughing and looking sympathetic. “Oh man, I’m sorry, maybe I should’ve called instead, but I know you hate checking voicemails so I figured leaving you a note would be the best. I didn’t expect you to leave the office when you said you didn’t hear my voice.”

“Don’t say it like that,” Taekwoon groans, dropping into a crouch by Jaehwan. “It’s embarrassing,” he mutters, reaching up to ruffle his hair before remembering Hakyeon’s flowers. But then Jaehwan reaches over, his expression soft as he starts to tugs the flowers out.

“I’ll add these to my flower crown,” he says brightly, and Taekwoon hums, raising his head a little to let Jaehwan remove the rest of the plants. He catches sight of the gravestone, and then he sees the surname carved into the weathered stone:  _Lee_.

“Who is this?” Taekwoon asks quietly, and Jaehwan’s hands still for a moment.

“My grandfather’s,” he says eventually, his voice fond. “Today is the anniversary of his death, so I came to visit.”

“Is that why...?” Taekwoon starts, and Jaehwan nods.

“Yeah, that’s why I wanted to take the day off. Sorry for not telling you sooner.”

“It’s fine,” Taekwoon murmurs, slowly lowering himself onto the patchy grass. Next to him, Jaehwan snorts.

“I did worry you, and I made you run all over the city chasing after me because of a misunderstanding,” he reminds Taekwoon with a nudge of his elbow. “If anything, that must’ve caused you a lot of problems.”

“Well, I’m just glad you’re not in any kind of trouble,” Taekwoon admits, and Jaehwan’s face goes pink. He ducks his head, a large grin on his face as he threads another flower into the crown.

“Thanks,” he says, and Taekwoon hums in response. When he looks at the gravestone again, he can see scented candles burning on the stone slab, and next to it were several pretty seashells, ocean-polished stones, carved rune stones and fresh dewplants that waved despite the lack of a breeze. The collection of objects makes Taekwoon wish he had something to offer before he remembers something in his pocket. He reaches in and quickly digs out the tiny conch shell Hongbin gifted him earlier.

“Is that a conch shell?” Jaehwan asks, and Taekwoon nods, holding it up to his ear. It takes a moment, but there really is the echo of the sea caught in the curve of the smooth shell. He turns and holds it up beside Jaehwan’s ear, watching the way the other man’s face brightens when he hears the sound too.

“It’s the sea!”

Taekwoon hides a smile and crawls forwards, placing the shell amongst the other things on the alter. He bows his head for a moment and says a quiet prayer in his mind, and when he looks behind him Jaehwan is watching him, eyes a little wet, but there’s a smile on his lips.

“I’m almost done the crown,” Jaehwan says, holding the crown up. “How about we go grab dinner afterwards? My treat.”

“Mm,” Taekwoon nods, perking up at the mention of food, and Jaehwan laughs, picking up the rest of the flowers to add to the crown. When he finished, he stood up to place the creation on top of the gravestone, arranging it delicately. The two of them bow in unison before they turned away, and the back of Taekwoon’s hand brushes lightly against Jaehwan’s before the other man slides his fingers into Taekwoon’s palm. They link hands, steps in sync with one another’s as they began to descend down the mountain together.

The breeze picked up behind them, ruffling their clothes and their hair as they walked. A brook gurgled somewhere amidst the ancient trees, and the beyond the form of the solitary mountain and the rolling glen, the air around them hummed with mystery and blanketed them with a type of magic older than time itself.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading! sorry for the lack of Ken until the end (ง ´͈౪`͈)ว


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